Singulair and albuterol

My son has been on Singulair chewables and albuterol neb treatments 3X per day for about three weeks. He is 3 years old and could not shake a cough he got well before Thanksgiving. He still has the cough and today is Christmas. We almost went to the emergency room today because we stopped the nebulizer a week ago and everything has now come back again (and worse it seems). It's like we are starting over. As far as the aggression: we first thought it was the Albuterol that was making him crazy and aggressive (hitting, shouting 'I don't love you', refusing to nap at daycare), but now we realize it is more likely the Singulair.

Here is my thing now: I thoroughly believe in regular cough medicine, cough suppressant, robitussin, mucinex, delsym. These are the over-the-counter type of syrups and drugs we all grew up on and they worked for us!!!! Did you have even ONE friend as a kid who was on the sort of drug lineup our kids are on these days? This cough that my son can't shake right now is a result of the ONLY time his whole life that I did not give him cough medicine at onset because the pediatricians are now saying, "positively no cough medicine for kids under 6". I think probably some people overdosed their kids on it, they had heart attacks, and now this is the response (no cough medicine for kids under 6). Again, this cough my son has now is the only time I did not give him cough medicine in the beginning and now look what has happened. They are talking Asthma possibly b/c he has acute brochospasm. And like everyone else is saying, he is itchy and acting out due to the Singulair too! What a freakin' mess.

I am going back to the old school way of treating cough and cold. Does anyone agree? Do I need to move to Florida or California? Philly is cold . . .

My husband has been on Singulair for ten years now. It was a miracle drug for us as his asthma and allergies were ruining his quality of life. Little did I know that the Singulair would have such drastic effects as well. He is a police officer who has been through some traumatic events in his career. I attributed his irritability, depression, anger, severe nightmares, heartburn, weight gain, and puffy swollen eyes to post traumatic stress disorder. He stopped taking the medication about two weeks ago after his prescription ran out and he saw the FDA report. He is once again the man I fell in love with. Now I know what has been causing all of the changes in him, and we have decided he will never take Singulair again.

May 25th, 2009
11:20 A.M.

Started Singulair 5/14/09. Within last week or so started having extreme pain in shoulders, hands (especially thumbs), wrists and hips. Put ti down to arthritis. Pain has been getting worse every day. Thought it was a food allergy so stopped eating fruit and have cut out all sugar. Yesterday realized that pain has increased so it wasn't the food. It suddenly dawned on me that it could be the Singulair. Stopped taking it last night and am already much better. Still some pain but not so excruciating.

About a month before my Dr. gave me Advair. After a few days on it, I went to bed and thought I was having a heart attack. Pain across my back and down my arms, up my neck and across my chest. This happened 2 nights in a row and decided to stop taking it. Called my MD and he said to stop it immediately. However, he thought it really might be my heart so I had an echo cardiogram and stress test. They said my heart was perfect. After 2 days off the med had no more trouble..

My take is that these "air" drugs are not for me. My MD is on vacation and won't be back until Wed. I will speak with him then. Hopefully by then all paij will be gone. Will post again to report results of stopping Singulair. Reading all these posts also made me realize my depression, irritability and crying has probably been a result of this drug.

By: Fed Up

My son is almost 3 and was on Singulair for about a year and a half. We adopted him at 6 months old and for the first year he had pneumonia nearly every other month. The doctor suspected asthma and put him on nebulizer treatments and as well as Flovent and albuterol through an aerochamber. Not long after that he added Singulair.

I remember as a baby how calm my son was but as he grew his personality changed. I chalked it up to the terrible twos - until I found this website. After reading all of the posts and talking to a friend whose son had taken it for a short time, we IMMEDIATELY took our son off of Singulair. That was 2 weeks ago.

This is a common thread, but the change in him is nothing short of dramatic. He is happier, says 'no' A LOT less, gets along with our 2 year old daughter much better, sleeps better at night and generally does not have the 'meltdowns' he used to have several times a day. It is AMAZING!! He did have some coughing within a few days of going off of Singulair but we also have him on Zyrtec along with his asthma medications and the cough went away.

It's obvious what this drug is doing to children....if you have any doubts talk to your child's doctor but I for one will NEVER use this drug again and will tell everyone I know!

NOW I SEE I AM NOT CRAZY. I JUST GOT OUT OF BED AT 3:30 A.M. - another sleepless night. I thought, I wonder if it is the singular - let's get up and do research. So here I am writing this is the middle of the night. I am a 56 year old female. Have been taking allegra for years, no complaints. History of smoking caused asthma-like symptoms which disappeared about a year ago due to improved lung function. I no longer need the albuterol, inhalers, etc. Two months ago I went to the dr. primarily to talk about depression and anxiety. History of depression and I've been taking welbutrin for the past six months. I decided not to change presc for depression. He suggested that I take singulair and switch to zyrtec.
WELL I CAN SEE THAT THIS IS JUST GREAT! I'm ill with everyone, depressed, have loads of anxiety, have three uncompleted projects in my house and was considering a fourth when I realize - now this is a problem! Wake up! So I find these postings and I am angry that all of this suffering has occurred, esp to children who can't explain that they feel different, etc.
So now I am going cold turkey, going to stop singular and zyrtec immediately. I am retired so I can take benadryl most times if I need to and I look forward to getting some good sleep tomorrow. (Will it leave my system that fast.) God bless you all and your children.
OH I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT MY MIGRAINES - WHICH WERE LONG GONE - HAVE COME BACK WITH A VENGEANCE. The nausea has been slight. OH - I'VE HAD TERRIBLE THOUGHTS WHEN I PICK UP A KNIFE IN THE KITCHEN WHILE PREPARING A MEAL. I INTENTIONALLY SHAKE IT AND WONDER WHY IN THE WORLD I WOULD HAVE SUCH A THOUGHT. I am so upset with dr. and pharm. companies. We need to take ownership of our own conditionsl.

Daughter just turned 2, started Singulair on her birthday, so it has only been 9 days. Already it has had such a positive effect on her reactive airway disease (a.k.a. asthma). In January, she had maybe a one-week break from constant runny nose, bad coughing, and 2 a.m. Albuterol treatments. Right after starting Singulair, she got a sniffle--which has always led to bad coughs, etc. But this time she dodged it.

About the same time, she has become more resistant to naptime. She used to just lie down and go to sleep, but lately she stalls and complains--like a typical 2-year-old. Of course, she was probably exhausted from coughing all night! Lately she'd been sleeping 7 pm to 8 am and then napping noon to five!

If it makes her only slightly more intense, I'll take that over worrying whether she's going to suffocate in her sleep. But, having read these comments, I will definitely keep a close eye on her! Pediatrician suggested we try taking her off it for the summer, and back on for the fall/winter.

I am 34 years old. I am a pharmacy tech. I have asthma and allergies. I have taken singulair pretty much every day since it came out on the market. I've had asthma since i was about 10 years old. I took theophylline as a kid. Steriods on and off especially during times when my allergies are bad. I still use Advair during the fall and spring. Every drug has a side effect. However breathing is pretty good damn thing. Do I have days when I feel low? Yeah. Do I sometimes have nightmares? Yup. Are "natural" products the answer. Not always. The fish oil that some of the posters are touting can also cause GI problems. Some of the natural products contain herbs and other plant derivatives that can be harmful for a child that suffers from allergies. Not proactively treating asthma can be deadly. Some of the parents are suggesting steriods as the answer - those can cause weight gain, growth suppression and can lead to a worsening of asthma.

Singulair has never made me feel like I've wanted to kill myself. I was more depressed and angry as kid when my asthma did not allow me to partipate in normal childhood things. I was sad and hated life when I couldn't keep up with friends at recces because I was having trouble breathing. You have to outweigh the costs with the benefits. I am more irritable when I have asthma flareup then I am on a normal day. For me, I choose to breathe. And singulair has been helping me for almost a decade.

I'm not saying the medication isn't causing these symptoms but maybe there is an underlying cause to your child's depression.

Any drug has a side effect. But without medical research and the medications that come with them - people would still be dying of simple diseases and we wouldn't have vaccinations. As a society, as a whole, we are a culture that looks to someone else to fix things and then blames the people who try to fix it. We need to stop being the "hot McDonald's coffee'" society.

I would like to know who is NOT experiencing side effects from Singulair.
We are not.
My 7 years old started Singulair three months ago because of allergy issues. She had asthma attack every other week, running nose all the time, she was so miserable, she missed many days of school and she couldn't exercise .Since she started to take SIngulair her allergy improved, no more asthma, no more running nose. SIngulair did not change her way to be. She is doing very good in school (she is above the average..) she does piano, ice skating, she is purple belt Tae Know Doe, speak two languages, she is doing great in everything. Of course she has her "bad moments" but which child does not?
I tried homeopathy, but it did not work, she got worst and worst. I was supposed to give SIngulair to my daughter a year ago, I did not because I was afraid of the side effects. But I wished I had started before because I could have avoid so much steroids since she had asthma most of the time. The doctor convinced me to use this medicine when she said " You think SIngulair has side effects, yes sometime it does, but do you know the danger of using steroids so frequently in a little body?" Then I thought I had to give a try. I am glad I did. Of course I keep watching my daughter behavior closely and reading all the possible side effects of this medication. I forgot to say that beside singulair my daughter is also taking Pulmicort, two puffs once a day.

My daughter's doctor put her on Singulair just about a week ago. She had a persistent barking cough that would not go away, even after 3 weeks on Albuterol. Because the pill was so expensive (even WITH insurance it was $120.00) and I could not afford it, her doctor gave me free samples. I gave it to her for the first time last night. I was telling a friend of mine about how nice it was that my daughter's doctor gave me free samples and what a blessing it was. When I told her what pill it was she started telling me about what happened to some of her kids in her class (she's a teacher). I was surprised. She told me she didn't want to scare me, she just wanted to make me aware. I didn't get scared, but I certainly wanted to find out if what she was telling me was common or just rare in a few cases. I am one of those people that will ask advice of other moms, etc., but ultimately do my own research and find out for myself to confirm any suspicions. I know some moms who freak out over every little thing and take someone's word for it, even without doing their own research. I am not one of those mom's. So I Googled "singulair side effects" and found this site. I could not believe that everything my friend had told me has also been experienced by so many others on this site. Needless to say, I will NOT be giving her Singulair anymore. I am just so thankful that I had someone tell me about it BEFORE she had to experience some of the terrible things that other children have had to experience. It is unacceptable that this drug is allowed to be prescribed, especially for young children. I am going to look into a more natural way to help ease her sniffles and cough.

I have an 8y.o. daughter that has been on Singulair for about 3 years now. Since she started taking singulair she has been absolutely miserable! She cries at everything, is very moody, has leg pains, wont leave my side and is tired ALL the time. She has circle under her eyes, she looks like she hasn't slept a wink in days! She has been off her Singulair for about 5 days now and she is a totally different person. She has been "happy-go-lucky" and full of herself, she has even woke up happy (which hasn't happened in I dont know how long). She was put on Singulair by our Doctor b/c she had Pnemonia two times in a row. She has Allergies and Asthma and for the past 3 years has been on: Singulair (4mg), albuterol, flovent, Zyrtec, and Flonase. That is just too much for a little girl to be on. She hardly eats at all, gets headaches. I just see such a difference when she is not on it but, what will she take in place of this? My husband also takes Singulair (he is miserable all the time), he doesnt sleep at night and is always tired. Anyone have alternative to this drug?

Just wanted to offer a follow-up on our daughters behavior since getting off Singulair and Advair. AMAZING difference. She is a pretty normal 12 year old now. The most noticable thing to me is her voice. On the drugs she always sounded so gruff and angry. Now she sounds sweet. She smiles so much more and is not eager to become angry. I can reason with her more now when there is a disagreement. It will be a long process to break habits of behavior that have developed over the past ten years, (yes, ten years, she started these poisons when she was two years old) We are very hopeful for her future. I am so very thankful that I was led to this site.

While I am sure that Singulair has adverse effects for some children/teenagers/adults, I took Singulair for 2-3 years (until my asthma symptoms improved to the point where I didn't need to take it) while I was a kid and had no adverse side effects. Started back on Singulair in April after having severe reactions to my new puppy (I am now 21). Since then, I really haven't had any side effects at all. I agree that they should black box Singulair and possibly not prescribe it to some children/teens, but for some people (like myself), it works, and shouldn't be taken off the market completely.

I'm a mother of a lovely 6 year old child who has been on Singulair for four years. For four years, I've dreaded taking my child anywhere public for fear of her outbursts and for four years, I've thought that Kate perhaps has ADHD. Funny, but she had near psychotic reactions to the inhaled Albuterol the docs put her on due to some very scary episodes she had before the age of 2 with RSV. I never suspected that the Singulair they put her on for Ashthma might be the cause of the behaviors that she and our family have suffered with for years. I've called her doctor and told the doctor that I'm taking her off right now, IMMEDIATELY. I've even consulted with the doctor about her behavior but got the feeling that she just thought I was being oversensitive. For four years, I have had a hyperactive, moody, sleepless and generally unpleasant child and I am worn out and heartbroken. I pray that taking her off this medication will work.

I have 2 sons with asthma that have both been taken singulair (the oldest for 3 years & his brother for 2). My younger son's asthma got alot better since he was diagnosed & he was recently taken off Singulair thanks also to my husband hearing a report about the moodiness caused. When he was on it he would cry for no reason, get very irrational & seemed to think the world was against him. In just 2 weeks he is happy & cheerful and has told me he thinks it is due to being off singulair. His older brother's asthma has gotten worse over the years & I'm concerned about taking him off but he too has crazy moods. Just tonight he started a new soccer team & got crazy & suddenly didn't even want to participate in something he loves (wanted me to let him quit right then) until we argued enough he reluctantly participated. He then came home complained of a headache (which is also way too frequent) and now has been asleep for hours. Are there any alternatives to this drug? I'm a stressed out mom that doesn't deal well with these mood swings. He is normally a social butterfly & a sweet kid but lately seems more withdrawn, more irritable (especially tonight) & complaining about leg cramps in addition to these frequent headaches. I can't deal with too many more of these evenings & wonder if all these things are possible side effects. I'm glad to see my other son doing well but miss his normally sweet brother! Even his siblings think he is acting crazy :(

My baby (1 yr) was just prescribed Singulair from a CHOP doctor. I am so thankful that I found this website. I certainly will not fill the prescription. I was hesitant at first anyway because he only had one fluke "asthmatic" insident that sent him to the ER (but has many food allergies and dog allergy). Anyone have any advice on where I should go from here? Honestly, I am afraid to go back to that doctor and they told me it would be very difficult to switch doctors at CHOP. Everyone knows CHOP is one of the best. It is so hard to get honest advice. Every doctor thinks you will sue. Or they're out to use you for their research. He thinks this was the beginning of asthma and it will get worse. It was a scary episode...first time I ever called 911 for one of my children. Breathing is obviously very important, but he never has any problems breathing otherwise (running, laughing, playing) Just got a cold that turned bad quickly. Should I prevent with meds.? My thought is to just keep the neb. and Albuterol handy. I hate giving daily meds. to a developing baby. My gut says to let God develops his immune system naturally. (Not against periodic meds. - So thankful for Benadryl!) Please help! Mommy of 4

WOW Where to start. My 15 month old Daughter was put on it for "SUPPOSED" allergies which she don't have... But that's a totally different story. Anyways she was put on the granules. After taking if for about 5days I noticed VERY Significant side effects IMMEDIATELY. She would NOT eat for anything in the world which is odd because my 25lbs 15 months old (Mind you she was only 5lbs 4ox @ birth) was a Pigglet lol She also became VERY Winey & Clingy...She also began to have "Night Terrors' and when I say Night terrors I mean the full blown ones last about 20 minutes or so and the first one scared me to death I thought my little baby girl had went blind. The terrors started about Night 2. We took her off the Singulair before I found any of these Side Effect write ups and of course AGAINST Doctor's advise however I put her back on her Claritin. Her nose is drying up and Congestion is gone after rushing her to the ER with 104.2 fever and got her on Anti-Biotics & Albuterol. (Still another story lol) We noticed the next day a HUGE Difference is her personality and she was sooo HAPPY again. The first full day off the drug she slept through the night in her own bed WITHOUT a terror or even a bad dream. IT'S A MIRACLE I proclaimed that I had enough common sense after only 4days to get that mess out of my Daughter's Body. Needless to say she is a piglet again here only about 5 days after taking her off the med. and happy as a 15 month old should be lol

My son age 3 was diagnosed with asthma about a year ago. Since then he has been sick constantly. Most recently his doctor has prescribed Singulair. He is aggressively pushing it on us. I stated my concerns to him, and he said there is nothing wrong with the drug.. he gets all the news letters.. and all the things I listed was the first time he heard anything.. I asked for his to refer us to a specialist and he wont.. I cant find anyone for a second opinion..My son needs medicine- at night i cant leave his side cause of his breathing.. The doctor wont suggest any alternate and I am stuck. I keep reading about all the people who are not taking singulair anymore- what what are they taking? I am completely lost here!

I'm a 30 year old male, and I've been on Singulair for eight years now to treat chronic asthma. Shortly after I started, there was a noticeable change in my mood and behavior. What I noticed included sadness, thoughts of death, anxiety, and fatigue. I knew that there was something wrong, but just chalked it up to changing life experiences. I was always heavily involved in organized sports (little league through college), but abruptly stopped after college. I thought that the moodiness (or depression) came on because I wasn't as active anymore. Correlation maybe? I don't know. But I do suspect that Singulair is the culprit. I would like to get off for a while, but I literally cannot breathe without it. Does anyone know of any comparable alternatives to Singulair that won't bring on these type of side effects? Thanks all for sharing. Blessings!

Thank you Massmomof3 for updating us. I noticed postings started on here as far back as 2003. Is there anyone that posted back then that still visits this board. Would love to hear your updates.

Here is the list of asthma drugs mentioned.

Flovent- growth velocity reduction in children/adolescents, Agitation, aggression, depression, and restlessness. Asthma exacerbation, bronchospasm, chest tightness, cough, dyspnea, immediate bronchospasm, paradoxical bronchospasm, pneumonia, and wheeze. Upper respiratory infection, influenza, Nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, dyspepsia and stomach disorder. weakness, tired feeling, nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, changes in the shape or location of body fat,

Advair - asthma-related death, Agitation, aggression, anxiety, depression. Behavioral changes, including hyperactivity and irritability, have been reported very rarely and primarily in children. Muscle injuries, fractures, wounds and lacerations, contusions and hematomas, burns, Rhinorrhea/postnasal drip; ear, nose, and throat infections; ear signs and symptoms; nasal signs and symptoms; nasal sinus disorders; rhinitis; sneezing; nasal irritation; blood in nasal mucosa. Sleep disorders, tremors, hypnagogic effects, compressed nerve syndromes, Cushing syndrome, Cushingoid features, growth velocity reduction in children/adolescents, hypercorticism, hyperglycemia, weight gain, osteoporosis

Albuterol - Dizziness; headache; nausea; nervousness; sinus inflammation; sore or dry throat; tremor; trouble sleeping; vomiting. Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); chest pain; ear pain; fast or irregular heartbeat; new or worsened trouble breathing; pounding in the chest; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin; severe headache or dizziness; unusual hoarseness; wheezing.

Pulmicort - rash, contact dermatitis, urticaria, angioedema and bronchospasm; symptoms of hypocorticism and hypercorticism; glaucoma, cataracts; psychiatric symptoms including depression, aggressive reactions, irritability, anxiety and psychosis. neck pain, abdominal pain, dry mouth, vomiting, weight gain, insomnia, infection, taste perversion

Symbicort - Long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonists may increase the risk of asthma-related death, psychiatric symptoms, e.g., irritability, anxiety, restlessness, nervousness, agitation, depression; skin bruising. immediate hypersensitivity reactions, such as anaphylactic reaction and bronchospasm; symptoms of hypocorticism and hypercorticism; glaucoma, cataracts, psychiatric symptoms, including aggressive reactions, behavioral disturbances, psychosis.
confusion; insomnia; seizures. dry hair; dry skin; urticaria; rash; pruritus; purpura; photosensitivity; increased sweating; alopecia, erythema multiforme, Conjunctivitis, dysphonia; blurred vision; earache; eye pain; blepharospasm; altered taste, Dry mouth; abdominal pain; anorexia; increased appetite and weight gain; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; constipation; flatulence; gastritis; dyspepsia; thirst; hiccough; stomatitis. Urinary discoloration; altered micturition; menstrual irregularities; impotence; vaginitis; urinary retention; urinary incontinence; breast enlargement, Wheezing; upper respiratory tract infection; nasal dryness; pharyngitis; epistaxis; nasal congestion; dyspnea; coughing; rhinitis; hemoptysis; sinusitis; sneezing; bronchospasm; bronchitis; laryngitis. Breast pain; arthralgia; myalgia; malaise; chest pain; leg cramps; asthenia; back pain; fever; peripheral edema

I am a 50 year old women. I had bronchitis that turned into severe asthma.
Could not stop coughing. I have been on Singulair for over a year. Have had weight gain, Hand numbness,Stomach problems. Even had an colonoscopy but turned up nothing. Now I understand after reading all these posts. The weight gain alone was driving me crazy. Limiting myself to 1200-1400 calories, eating only lean meats and vegetables.Exercising and loosing MINIMAL weight over a 4 month period. I felt like I was doing something wrong. Ive thrown my Singulair away after reading your posts. Will figure out something else if my allergies and or asthma flairs. Just not worth it. Will repost after Ive been off a while.

(A divorced father)
My son has been on Singulair now 5 years and I am in the middle of fighting to get him off. My son is now 7 years old and has been diagnosed with allergies (no test have been done which I find very odd), which leads to a case of mild asthma. This past weekend his mother forgot his Singular on Friday so I could not give him any till the next day, where we met at his soccer game. Saturday night I gave him his usual pill and thankfully due to his exhaustion from playing out side all day he went to sleep in 10 min. vs 3 hrs later which is the norm since Singulair seems to jack him up.
He also has red puffiness under his eyes - most likely allergies.
Seems depressed - just driving down the road and I look at him in the rear view mirror and he just sits and stares into space. When I ask what's wrong he either says nothing or I am tired.
He will try to tell a story or think for himself and just stops mid sentence and says " never mind I am just confused"
He will be having fun one moment and just starts crying or gets depressed.
He was throwing a ball in the house (yes I know) and accidentally knocked a glass over breaking it - he went running to his room, crawled under his bed and sobbed profusely for over 30 min.
He has a hard time doing / focusing on homework - becomes bored very easily.
Does not want to go outside. I will take him to allot of cultural events/ hands on or participation events - he will not try anything. He is unsure and will not come out of his box so to speak.
I spoke with his doctor who was reluctant to take him off, but then agreed that if it was OK with the ex, to take him off for a week to see what happens.
The fun part: My ex is convinced that since he has been on Singulair for 5 years he is fine and does not need to come off it.

1.) Son is diagnosed with mild asthma or allergy induced asthma.
He has never had an allergy test done and has not had a lung function test in over a year.

2.) It is documented that our son has four outbreaks a year. (sounds like the changing of the seasons) but is given Singulair all year round and the dosage has also been increased.

3.) Since the court order, ordered my ex to enroll our son in sports (she would not let him play anything) he does not wheeze or cough uncontrollably.

4.) Since I had to battle to get our son on my insurance I have cut her control issues off a little, but she is refusing to take him off Singular just for a week to see how he reacts. Although I do agree that he should have some form of allergies medicine.

5.) When I found out about the side effects of Singulair, I also found that his doctor was getting ready to add two other allergy medicines to his portfolio - totaling 3 different meds.

I see our sons behavior getting worse and I watch him turn into something he is not and with a controlling individual not believing anything about the side effects it looks like I will have to rely on the medical system to prove my point. I do believe he needs to be accurately tested for allergies and given a regularly lung function test but most of all since he is now on my insurance, a second opinion and a 3rd to narrow down what the situation is and an alternative medical procedure that is fit for the symptoms.

My 13 yr old daughter was put on Singulair along with Asmanex and Clarinex for her asthma about 6 weeks ago. Everything seemed to be going very well at first and her symptoms were starting to get controlled. I started noticing after about 3 to 4 weeks that her temper and attitude were getting much worse. Anyone with children this age knows what I mean but this was like a 180 degree turn for her. Her actions were becoming totally out of character. Before I knew it she would cry and get highly upset over the least little thing. Week 5 came around and things totally bottomed out. She came home from school and WAS NOT HERSELF. Made comments about how she hated her life and it was not worth living. Later that evening we had a big argument because I was telling her nothing was worth saying that. She went totally out of control and I had to physically restrain her to calm her down. It appeared everything was better so she went to her room. I went down to check on her and she calmly told me that she had taken advil and tylenol pm and things would be better for her forever now. We went to the ER where they made us wait for at least an hour, then finally took her back. She had to drink two cups of charcoal and was poked and prodded repeatedly. They did a catheter to get a urine sample. She was very cooperative but also was in a complete daze so who knows. The poor child couldn't even lift her head up when she started the vomiting to get rid of the drugs. It was very upsetting and sad. Her heart rate and blood pressure went very low and I really thought in the back of my mind that this was it. Finally, after several hours she started coming out of it and they sent us home. The next evening when she was starting to really come around she proceeded to tell me how she had been seeing a man walking around in her bedroom at night and she was afraid to go down there. Breaking down and crying telling me about all of the horrible nightmares she had been having recently and didn't know why. I thought what am I dealing with here? This just isn't her. Three days ago I heard about singulair in the news and looked it up on the internet. OH MY GOD THIS SOUNDED LIKE US!!!!! I immediately had her stop taking it and the next day phoned her asthma specialist who agreed she should stop now. We are going to watch her for two weeks and see if any symptoms return and then decide if she needs something else or will be fine on just the Asmanex. As a side note, she also mentioned being unable to concentrate in school (unable to do even the simplest math problems) and that her brain felt confused or like something was missing. She said this had been bothering her for several weeks. I know it was this drug. They really need to take this off the market NOW and stop flirting with disaster. The only reason I posted this was to let others know they are not alone.

Our son started taking Singulair when he was 2 for severe allergic rhinitis and cough variant asthma (in addition to Zyrtec, which didn’t control all of his symptoms). He is 5 now. For the last three years, he has been an increasingly violent, difficult, defiant, argumentative, volatile child who has intense mood swings--one minute he’s laughing uncontrollably, the next he’s weeping over nothing. His doctor and therapist recommended that we see a psychiatrist to have him evaluated for bipolar disorder, which used to be unknown in children. Because he has such chronic sleep problems, the doctor also suggested we take him off Singulair (and increase his Zyrtec dose) to see if it improved his sleep issues. Within a week, he was sleeping much better and was a calmer, happier, gentler boy. He suddenly could take “no” for an answer without flipping out and trying to hurt me. We thought that we were just in an unusual, calm window that would shift either to mania or intense sadness or both, any minute. We also thought that his behavior change might be due to sleeping better. We were enjoying the rare reprieve. Over the last weekend, his springtime allergies really flared up. We gave him Singulair on Monday and by noon, he was completely out of control. I had to strap him into his car seat at one point to keep him from hurting either me or himself. It finally occurred to me that Singulair might be causing his “bipolar” disorder. Of course, we stopped the Singulair. After two days he was a new boy. Yesterday, I Googled “Singulair bipolar children” and got a few hits. I am stunned to read how similar other families’ experiences have been to ours and I feel sick that we gave this drug to our child for three years.

Hello to everyone, I just came home from a parent teacher conference for my son who is 7 yrs. old, and heard the same old thing, "he is restless, impulsive and has a short attention span". He has been taking Singulair for about 3 yrs.. Since he has started school I have had these complaints and have also been told he displays symptoms of ADHD, which ironically has been for the last 3 years. Like any parent, I question" if I am doing something wrong with my parenting, is his diet good, etc. etc.", I am also a nurse, I realize that medications are needed and beneficial in some circumstances, however I firmly believe and was taught in nursing school that medication is last resort. That being said, I have been very adament about NOT giving my son ADHD medication after doing alot of research on the different meds and their side effects. So, we started him on all natural vitamins, changed his diet some ( kids got to have candy once in a while) and started a more structured routine( the best we can since we both work) and also enrolled him in Sylvan. The teacher says there is a 50% improvement but he is still impulsive and still does not pay attention like he "COULD", again suggesting he needs ADHD meds. I came home in tears and started to do more research online to see what else can I do besides putting him on psych meds?....Then I came accross this site, I just want to cry after reading all these posts. I wonder, could this be his problem, the Singulair?.. About a year ago he use to get up in the middle of the night, 5 out of 7 complaining of nightmares, hearing things at times, headaches, decreased appetite, stomach upset, all AT TIMES, not all the time so I never thought alot about side effects of Singulair. When the school started complaining I did look at side effects of Singulair and seen HYPERACTIVITY and mentioned it to his pediatrician and she shrugged it off saying she never heard of it being a problem. She's a great MD so I listened to her because his asthma was bad when he was younger and it is now under control. But then I think maybe he is outgrowing the asthma. I am afraid to stop Singulair and him have breathing problems again but then I can't help this strong feeling in my heart that says this may have been his problem with everything else all along. We are going to stop the Singulair tonight and see what happens. If anyone else has a child with asthma any suggestions for alternative treatment would be appreciated. I already know what's out there but sometimes it's nice to hear from another parent going through similar situs. Thanks for reading, Bobbie

My 9 year old daughter has been on singulair for about 5 months now and she is moody and not a very nice person sometimes. Now she in complaining of headaches and even cry's with the pain I want to take her off but I am a bit scared that if I take her off to quick this might be harmful can anyone let me know if they had any problems when they stopped their childs singulair.
Worried Mum
Australia

I am starting a new post in the hopes that others will see what I am trying to say about the delayed reaction in those that took Singulair for allergies.

If it is consistent that Singulair does not stop allergy symptoms immediately, then the pathways that eventually stop allergy symptoms involve a change in the mast cell function, development and migration (or some combination).

I asked this question for a reason. Are allergy symptoms stopped immediatedly. My question below:

I have a question that will help me continuing looking for information. I can understand that in the case of asthma that Singulair would provide immediate relief. If it is used for seasonal allergies or other allergies without asthma, does it work right away or does it take a period of days or weeks to be effective? If it takes time, could you tell me how long it took in your situation?

My thinking was going in the right direction if the answer below is consistent of everyone or most.

about 2 hours ago on Apr 11, 2008 by catherineevans, #7045
My granddaughter was put on Singulair for allergy symptoms without asthma. Itching, red eyes, terrible congestion, etc. dark circles under her eyes all the time. When we first put her on this, we didn't see any consistent results for 2-3 weeks, then it seemed to 'kick in.' I don't know if this helps. By the way, she was 9, now she's almost 12 and was immediately taken off when this story came out 2 weeks ago.

Then after seeing one response, I gave my reason for asking.

I asked this question because I have a theory of how montelukast really works for allergies as compared to how it works for asthma.

Asthma is a hyper-sensitive state that gets going because the mast cell has a receptor (the leukotriene receptor that Singulair blocks) that sends a signal along a pathway that causes lung tissue to have that extreme response - the wheezing, the airway constriction.

On the mast cell is another receptor the histamine receptor that causes the secretions that make our noses runs and and stuff up. This is not the same immune response as the asthma response. When I saw a post that somebody's doctor said that Singulair is an anti-histamine, NO it is NOT.

So if Singulair does not block histamine immediately and your child's allergies did not go away immediately, then maybe Singulair is working through some other means such as changing normal mast cell homeostasis.
I know that this seems like "what does this mean?" I am really writing this hoping to God that there are people reading this site that know what I am talking about.

Thank you so much for responding. Your answer actually told me what I wanted to know and confirmed my hypothesis. More answers will help. I hope others respond.

PLEASE respond about the length of time that allergies disappeared if you took Singulair for allergies.

has anyone took their child off of singular for more than 2 weeks and has the child had any breathing issues since being off?

After reading more posts and comments to others re: SINGULAIR and discussion of side effects of steroids - I am really scared as you could all imagine! Do I need to look for any side effects from the flovent and albuterol? What should Iook for? I am so not the paranoid type but am quickly becoming more now b/c I don't want my son to suffer anymore. I know predisone long term but what about the flovent which is a steroid? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I just came back home from the dr. We made some tests and my 5 years old daughter is allergic to house dust mites and has beeing diagnosticated with athopic asthma. The dr. prescribed Singulair. Now, after reading all the posts, I freaked out and I have not idea what to do. I am really sorry I did't ask about side effect, but I considered, her beeing a dr, knows better than me. My thought now is: I'm not going to give my daughter Singulair.

I am one of many that has decided to stop giving my child Singulair. And like many others, I have noticed a great improvement in her behavior.

My question is for those who have done the same. What medication have you replaced the Singulair with and have you noticed any of the same side effects that Singulair was causing? What are your thoughts on Flovent inhaler?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Has anyone else that has taken Singulair for awhile tried getting off of it and noticed that their asthma was worse than it was before they started on Singulair? I'm a 29 year old male, been on Singulair for 2 years. After reading these blogs 2 weeks ago, I decided to see if I noticed any difference in my energy level, moods, etc after dropping Singulair. I didn't. But what I did notice during my week-long experiment was that my asthma was way worse. Prior to Singulair, I would only have to use my inhaler if I exercised. During the week that I dropped Singulair, I had to use my inhaler 5+ times daily because I was wheezing...especially waking up in the middle of the night not being able to breath. This never happened to me before I started on Singulair. In any event, I'm back on Singulair now to keep my asthma in check.

My 4 y/o son has very bad asthma/allergies it's been 3mos ago that his Dr. put him on Singulair and he has had no asthma or allergies !!! I was so relieved since he's already been hospitalized 3x for the asthma prior to the meds. The behavior thing is not an issue at home but it is a big issue in public, he starts bouncing off the walls, and is non stop, I don't like taking him anywhere because he gets so wound up,he just starts running from my husband and me, he screams and hides from us. He's in daycare during the day but his teachers say he is a good boy for them. he used to get high strung when he was taking the albuterol / asthmacort (steriods) thru the nebuilzer. So maybe it's just a age thing? I'm not going to just assume it though, I'm going to call the Doctor tomorrow and see what he thinks......

Wow, everyone, thanks for the support. Medicdad asked that I keep him posted about how I'm feeling, and this is only day two, and I hope this isn't a placebo effect, but I do feel better already. I did cry a bit yesterday, but I didn't get carried away with my thoughts or anything, and not once did I have any inclinations to harm myself. No thoughts like that came into my mind all day, and for what seems like forever they came in several times a day, even when I was "happy". Seriously, I would be doing laundry, nothing upsetting happened, and I would think about hanging myself in the garage. And who do you confide in with something like that? That is CRAZY. I feel like I have more rational thoughts and a better perspective on pretty much everything that presents itself to me, but I don't want to get my hopes up just yet. As far as the asthma, I feel like I can breathe the same, even better, which seems odd, since yesterday. I do take advair, and I am hoping that will be enough. I also take zyrtec for my allergies, so hopefully those two will suffice in maintaining my quality of life in those areas. I am already planning to exercise this afternoon after work, which I think is a good sign, and could help my lung function naturally. So I hope that I can report that things are much improved after a week, like so many other people have posted.

My son is 10 years old and has been on 5 mg. singulair for 3 years. He has been getting frequent headaches,and is in the bathtub right now screaming with one! Also alot of depression.I just came upon this website accidently ,by searching the internet for what might be causing such headaches in a child. I was shocked at all of these symptoms! I am not going to give him any more singulair.But what is everyone doing to replace it and deal with their kids asthma problems? My son has had so may behavioral issues and being so unreasonable and always thinks were picking on him.To extremes! Very hars to deal with,constantly! TC

Here is some perspective for you all. I take Singulair and do well on it and in ACTUAL studies it has one of the safest safety records. Understand that post marketing reporting does not mean there is a correlation between the event and the product. Throughout the life of a drug the companies must disclose any report of side effects reported to them REGARDLESS of causality. A popular antihistamine that is OVER THE COUNTER also has suicidal thinking/behavior listed in its post marketing section. However, just because patients who had reported having these thoughts while taking the product doesn't mean it was a result of the product! Maybe they had a depressive personality and were also on multiple other medicines to treat that. You must look at the "Adverse Reactions, Warnings and Precautions" sections of package inserts to see the side effects that were actually seen in studies. You can die from ulcers derived from over use of aspirin or ibuprofen. Decongestants can throw off your blood pressure and these events are documented in actual studies! Listen to your bodies when taking any med. If you feel differently report it to your doctor.

These are all drugs people, there are potential side effects. There are also side effects to those "natural" over the counter remedies that are not nearly as regulated by the FDA or studies by the drug companies.

To anyone out there who has experienced side effects to singulair timed to when you started it, talk to your doctor, stop taking it and see if it goes away. Same advice for any product prescription or over the counter medicine. Side effects can be a combination of many factors (what other meds are you taking?) But understand for many people this product is the safest and most effective treatment for them. The FDA and Merck are reviewing all information to see if there is any correlation to the reporting. But singulair been around for about 10 years and prescibed to billions of people and is known to be one of the safer medicines out there overall.

In between the legitimate posts on this site I get the sense there is a lot of ambulance chasing going on. People looking to cash in on this big drug companies. We want drugs, we want them cheap and with no side effects which is not a reality. Keep stepping up the regulation and make the companies hire more lawers to protect themselves and jump through even more hoops and see what happens to the price and access to new meds. Even better, see how regulation has impacted the development of new medicines around the world (here's a tip, it will dramatically decrease). Drug companies certainly aren't perfect but which industry is?

Please, when taking any medicine over the counter, prescription or herbal supplement listen to your bodies to see if the potential benefits of the product outway the risks or side effects. Report any changes to your doctor.

What's the safe replacement drug for Singulair? I took my son off it before and he had his worst asthma attack ever. I see all the same symptoms in my son who's 9 and has been on it for 4 years now. It's so scary. We're off to the doctors to see what can be done. My Pharmacist has never indicated that there was ever a change in the side effects to Singulair. Thank you for all your helpful postings.

I've been diagnosed with anxiety and panic attacks since Nov. 15 2007 ended at the hospital emergency room, after using Xopenex been using Advair and Singulair due to my asthma once my Doctor increased my Advair from 250mg to 500mg twice a day on Sept. 5th 2007 noticed fast palpitations and overwhelming. Knew and complained for quite sometime that I wasn't feeling like myself. Since Nov. 26th 2007 I stopped taking Advair, Albuterol inhalers,Nebulizers due to the fact of my new Anxieties that I never had. Continued taking my Singulair medication thinking that it was safe. Only been on Singulair a little over a year. Still continued to experience Anxiety and Panic attacks. Due to this I've been seeing a therapist since Dec. of 07.Has affected myself, my children who have witnessed my episodes of Anxiety attacks and know thats not me.Also has affected my performance at my job and attendance. Just took two MRI's of the brain just last week thinking there maybe something wrong with my brain.My side affects have been Dizzy spells,feeling faint,blurry vision,extremely tired,muscle spasms,loss of concentration, and not being focused. These are my experiences with Singulair and I believe that the FDA should further investigate these allegations. I know for a fact I've been experiencing this for quite sometime and my Doctors tell me I'm just depressed. Ignoring the fact they prescribed me so many medications that trigger Anxiety depression and God knows what. Thank you Cita

While taking Singular I have noticed similar side effects of headaches,suicide,stomach pains,nausea, and depression. I am 33 years old, I have been taking Singular over a four year period and have noticed that my patience is very low while on this medication, I also take Advair and Albuterol for my Asthma and have also taken Claritin, however I didn't know until the recent uproar on the news that the depression and suicidal thoughts could be a result of this medication, i will no longer use this medication

I am a 29 year old female. I have been taking Singulair for approximately 5 years. I have indoor/outdoor/food allergies with allergy induced asthma. In addition to Singulair I take Zyrtec, Advair, Diflucan, Albuterol, and allergy shots (all of these are for my allergies). Due to the nature of my job - I do a lot of research on various drugs. I would be the first to tell everyone that when they're prescribed a new drug - it is worth it to go to the website and look at the potential side effects. I also tell everyone that when they do see a side effect, to consider how many (or few in most cases) people actually experienced these side effects. That said - I do these things regularly - for myself and for my family. I am also well aware that much of the time - I/my family, will never experience these side effects. That said, there is a pediatrician on here who has commented that other drugs are worse and has quoted, "once a stone is thrown into a well, thousands of smart people won't find it" - this may be fact - but it is not very helpful to people who have truly experienced problems. While I might tend to agree with his/her view to some extent, there is also the side of me that knows my own body. What I have to say about my experience with Singulair is this: In 5 years, I have several times felt not only depressed but many times severely depressed and very anxious. These symptoms have increased over the years. The last 3-4 months of my life have been terrible. Happiness comes infrequently and sadness and anger have become my prevailing emotions. I have been a very happy and optimistic person the majority of my life. This has been a huge struggle for me - so much so that I actually have conversations with myself when it comes on strong - I have to remind myself during these times that I am a normal, happy person, and that nothing is as bad as it seems. After 28 years - I know my body - and THIS person, is NOT me. I am not a follower - nor am I a whiner/complainer. I can say though that until there are more clinical trials done - I can't know all of the science behind it and whether or not it is the Singulair is causing these side effects. My thought is that there may be a possibility that my side effects are caused by the combination of drugs that I take - not strictly from the Singulair. In my case - and because of the other drugs that I take - I can probably, safely stop taking Singulair and judge for myself. The good thing about Singulair? It works for my allergies; it works very well as a matter of fact. Other side-effects though - I had an ongoing sinus infection for about the fisr 5 months I was taking it - and I have amazingly vivid dreams - some very scary and some very real. Additionally - I would never want to discount a pediatrician's opinion - nor would I want you to distrust your/your child's physicians - however, the sad truth of the pharmaceutical industry is that in order to sell their pharmaceuticals - they must convince physicians that they are effective and/or more effective than other drugs that treat the same disease state. Many of these physicians are paid to give lectures on new drugs or new drug indications. And some of them (not all) will always prescribe a certain drug because that's what they've 'promised' to do. The main thing I want to say here is this: if you are taking Singulair, and you have truly been experiencing these side effects - do the research; be objective; consider other medications you may be taking; express your concerns to your physician; if you are an adult and you take other medications that control your asthma/allergy symptoms then stop taking it and see if you notice a difference. If you have children that are taking it or you have severe symptoms that would be detrimental without taking the Singulair - talk with your/your child's physician about the possibility of changing the drug to something else and explain your concern. If you physician is unresponsive - get a second opinion. Many people who are on Singulair have both an allergist and a family doctor - talk to both. I have read that many of you have taken your child off of Singulair - let me just stress the importance of talking to your physician before removing your child from a drug. Not to scare anyone but perhaps the suicide side effect was caused by someone taking it then stopping it - or some similar cycle. Personally - I believe that I have a large benefit from taking Singulair - but because of the depressive/anxious feelings I've had the last few months - I am going to stop taking it and see if I feel any better. I would like to say that the benefits of taking this drug out weigh the risks - but for me - if my quality of life has become miserable (which it has) - I will try this option of taking myself off the drug before talking to my physician about taking an antidepressant or something similar. The side effects of those can be much worse. Hope I was helpful.

I have been on Singulair for nine years and I thank Merck for discovering and manufacturing it. I also thank my doctor for prescribing it to me. I have my life back! I had asthma so bad I was on high dose inhaled steroids and Albuterol. I had a nebulizer on my kitchen table and a drawer full of Albuterol in my refrigerator. Like clock work I would wake up wheezing and gasping for air and have to administer myself a treatment at 4 am every morning. I would try to exercise and I would wheeze and cough. I then went on Singulair and my nebulizer has been in the basement for at least 9 years, I have the drawer back in my refrigerator too. I exercise now and even ran my first race last summer without needing an inhaler. Thank God for Singulair. I am not going to die from my asthma.

There are so few choices to treat asthma and allergies and all the medications have problems like an FDA black box warning for increased death on Salmeterol(I stopped taking that) which is in Advair and emotional disturbances with steroids and increased suicide risk with Zyrtec which is now over the counter.

I do feel sorry for Cody's parents. It must be tragic to lose a child. My heart does go out to them. However looking rationally at this story, there seems to be a whole side missing. The news story did not mention anything about Cody's past history on the news. Did he ever have signs of depression? Was there an interview with his doctor? Was he having problems with friends at school? Was he into any drugs or adolescent games? Teenage boys also have the highest rate of suicide, medicines aside.

With all due respect, I never saw any of Cody’s friends or teachers be interviewed. Maybe this did happen and I missed this but I watched the news cast videos. Could there be more to this story that is purposefully being edited out or just not asked?

I never believe the media fully. They are very irresponsible and inaccurate at times.
If you read the product information of any drug including aspirin you would never want to take it. The truth is that many times the benefits of drugs out weigh the risks. I know I will keep taking my Singulair because I do not want to die of asthma sucking on inhalers like my mother did.

I am a 32 year old that suffers from allergy induced asthma. My doctors put me on Singulair and Zyrtec and my allergies and asthma have been in control and I can live and breath without sneezing and wheezing all day long. I have indoor and outdoor allergies and before Singulair I use to have to take over the counter Benadryl and then lay around groggy and miss out on things. I haven't experienced any side affects from Singulair as severe as what I have just read on these entries. I have no thoughts of suicide, I'm far from depressed and I'm a 32 year old mother of 2 kids, I work and I deal with the everyday life. Do I have mood swings, yes, but I cannot necessarily blame Singulair for that. As I read about it though, I wonder to myself, if I stop taking Singular with I be any more happier than I am already minus the mood swings? Do I do it as a trial and error type of thing. I mean if I miss my dose of Singular I end up having to use my albuterol inhaler and my chest hurts and I start to wheeze and cannot take a deep breath without feeling tightness in my chest. I guess at this point, the only thing I can do is talk to my doctors about switching me to a different asthma medication. I'm the type of person that actually second guesses doctors and am always up for a second and possibly a third opinion. I work for years in a medical malpractice law firm and I have no faith in the doctors that practice medicine. I usually read about things in detail before I try them to see certain side affects and what not. I'm not a medical professional, but I am a paralegal and I am an educated person. I go to the doctor but I'm not one to just run to the doctor with ever little ache and pain. I'm torn at this point because if I stop taking Singular I will suffer from Allergy induced asthma, and if I go to the doctor who's to say the next drug he puts me on for asthma might be worse or will cause problems. I can only speak from my experience, but ALL drugs carry a warning label of POSSIBLE side effects. I think I may be one of the few that do not suffer from the side affects of Singular, so I think I may just continue to take mine and breath easily. It also looks like most of these entries are about young children. Could it be that Singulair effects children differently than adults? Or could it be that everyone wants a hand in the money of a major drug company?? Whatever the case may be, everyone needs to educate themselves with any drug that is prescribed to them. I'm sorry for those that have suffered, I couldn't imagine going through that myself!

I've been reading through all of the postings and I feel just terrible for everyone who has had a bad experience. However, I can honestly say that Singulair has saved my life. I have severe allergy induced asthma, and until I went on singulair, I felt sick every day of my life. I couldn't go anywhere outside of my house without having a reaction. I was allergic to not only cats and dogs, but also to any person who had a cat or dog. It was impossible for me to step into anyones house who had pets or to invite pet owners into my own home!! (That dander gets everywhere!) I am also allergic to everything else- mold, pollen, dust, you name it. In the past, I used albuterol to combat the attacks. Using my rescue inhaler always left me feeling loopy, dizzy, and shaky.....but since I've been on Singulair, (3 years) I think I've used my inhaler only twice!!! In my opinion, it is a miracle drug. I cannot say that I've had any psychological effects caused by Singulair. I have had anxiety disorder for 10 years, which i currently treat with 50 mg of 5-HTP per day (a natural herbal OTC supplement). Singulair has not made my anxiety worse- if anything- I feel less anxious because I no longer have the fear of having asthma attacks every where I go. Everyone reacts to medication differently, but for me it is a wonderful drug- hopefully researchers will be able to pinpoint the cause of the side effects other people are reporting.

Be very wary of this drug! My son was on it for a year and a half ...the last six months were a veritable nightmare for him. Severe anxiety issues (had to be hospitalized at one point ) and depression. Doctors kept saying it was not the medication but when I googled the drug side effects and stumbled on a blog about singulair problems , I told my son and off the medication he went. Within a month he was back to his normal self .
Thank goodness he was old enough to tell me how he was feeling ( 17 years old at the time) but what about very young children on this drug...how can they voice their problems when they don't have the vocabulary or knowledge of what is "normal"?

I'm one of the "no effect" people...

I've been on Singulair for over 10 years as an adult and have had none of the side effects. For me, it's changed my life. I went from 4 different inhalers (13 doses a day) to rarely using my albuterol inhaler (maybe once a year).

I am a 30 year old female and have had asthma since I was 3 years old. For years I struggled with it, having to always have an inhaler on hand everywhere I went. About 4 years ago by the prescription of my pulmonary doctor I started taking singulair and advair once a day (before bed) The one thing that I have noticed that concerns me a bit, is that when I miss even one day of the medication (due to my forgetfulness in refilling) my asthma will be worse then before I even started the medication. So it's like I'm dependently addicted to it, which is really scary. Just one day off of it and I have to use my albuterol inhaler at least 5 times a day and I can't even get out of bed sometimes.

The other thing that I noticed was my complexion changed. I have been to several dermatologists who either think I have a mild rosacea, mild acne rosacea or a mild adult acne. I have never had a problem with my skin, it was always clear. However now it is just so tempermental. I recently asked an internal medicine doctor who doesn't seem to feel that there is any link between singulair and skin problems but thought that perhaps it was the advair.

I also have experienced strange mood shifts that sort of go back to the time I started the medication. I fight a lot more with my husband and just feel very anxious, fearfull, reclusive, depressed. I feel like another poster, that everything is going to go wrong, or is always wrong. I'll have extreme anxiety about small everyday things. I am an actress living in LA. I have a commercial agent and was quite active in auditioning but this has dwindled as the years have passed.
Is all this due to the medication? I cannot say obviously, and like another poster said, you can't attribute side effects that some people have had to all the millions of people that must take this medication.And, it is true that during studies conducted of medications anything that someone experiences has to be listed as a side effect. I was taking a medication for my possible ADD symptoms, concerta, and one of the side effects is "Accidental Injury" what does that even mean! I asked my doctor about it and he told me, that if someone so much as accidentally bumped into a table or tripped during the study it would have to be listed as possibly being associated with the medication.It's a legal thing I'm sure.

But in any event who's to say that it isn't causing these symptoms. I certainly hope that it doesn't. I can only vouch for my physical symptoms for sure. I know whether or not I can breath or not and that it's due to not taking the medication since being on it is like I don't even have asthma. But as for the emotional stuff, they are just that emotional and there are many other things in peoples lives that could be contributing factors. The greatest test would be to stop taking the medication to see if the emotional symptoms improve.

I have been crying for almost 24 hours now. I cannot believe what I am reading and hearing about Singulair. My son has been to hell and back again and again. I cannot say for sure the Singulair is the culprit. But after reading all of the other stories on this website, I am convinced it is a strong possibility.

My son is 11 years old. He has severe allergies and asthma. He takes many, many medications for this including Singulair. He as been on Singulair for about 8 years now (my best guess because he has been on it for sooooo long.)

My son was diagnosed with ADHD in pre-school. He has taken many medications for the ADHD, but none have ever done any good at all. We thought some of the medications even made things worse. Now, I'm not so sure.

After exhausting all the ADHD medications, our pediatrician sent my son to a psychiatrist and a counselor. The psychiatrist put him on 2 different antipsychotic medications. Again, neither one did any good and seemed to make matters worse. The psychiatrist sent my son to a psychologist to be tested for Asperger's. For those of you who don't know Asperger's is a high functioning form of autism. The psychologist ruled out Asperger's by diagnosed ADHD and Anxiety Disorder. He did not prescribe any medication.

For some unknown reason, I've only given my son the Singulair off and on for the last year. My son had the best year in school ever. However, his pediatrician was still not satisfied. He sent him to see another psychiatrist at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh. We were told he is believed to have more than one disability. He is believed to have ADHD, Aspergers, Teurettes and a possible 4th medical problem that has not yet come to light.

We are scheduled to see a neurologist at Children's Hospital on the 15th of April to rule out any medical reasons for his tics. We see the psychiatrist again on the 18th of April.

I am so tormented by this recent news. Has all of these problems been caused from him taking the Singulair for so long? Although he has had his best year in school yet, he still has a lot of problems. Are the side effects of the Singulair permanent.

The other side of the coin is this: It is also very scary to watch my son not be able to breath. Asthma can also be life threatening. What is a parent supposed to do.

Also, I now don't know whether to keep these appointments that are coming up. I hate so much to put him through more. He has endured enough doctors and tests to last him a lifetime. However, what if it is not the Singulair and there is help out there for him that I am not aware of.

Please if anyone else has had a similar experiences e-mail me. I would love to hear from you.

God Bless everyone who has been through this kind of hell.

I almost stopped my car on the highway this morning when I heard the 10AM top story on our local CBS news radio station stating that the popular asthma drug Singular has been linked to thoughts of suicide.

My son started taking Singular approximately 5 years ago (he is now 10). We noted almost immediately a change in his behavior. My son was normally a very mild mannered child, yet when taking Singular he started experiencing severe mood swings, rapidly moving from quiet and happy to fits of rage ending with him saying he wished he were never born or that he were dead. We told his pediatrician about this observed behavior change, but she hadn't hear of that reaction before. I checked the Singular web site at the time, but I don't recall mood changes being listed.

My son is still taking Singular because it has been so effective at managing his asthma, nearly eliminating the need for Albuterol. We haven't had to make any trips to the emergency room since he started taking it, and he seems to stay much healthier.

I will be having another conversation with his Dr. ASAP about whether the risks outweigh the benefits, especially since my child will be moving into the normally volatile teenage years. The last thing I want to do is complicate things by risking increased volatility from the use of Singular.

Wow, I am totally floored by the comments, and I have yet to see the Suicide article. My son is 6 and has been on Singular for about 1.5 yrs. I was very concerned about his "negative" talking. He is an "excellent" student in school (behavior and grades). However, I just recently requested for him to take a "self-esteem" class offered at the school because he kept saying that he hates himself and displayed what I call "evil" behavior which is very different than his normal personality. He has a twin brother so I just thought it was result of one boy getting more attention than the other...his brother is a more needy child (healthwise and educationally). After taking the class, my son does not do as much negative talking, however, still does not act quite mean. Anyway, I am going to take him off the medicine and look for the change in his personality. I, too, was also told that there were NO side effects. This is a lesson to me to check with "real" parents instead of just relying on the Rx company's informative brochures on "their" medicines. I guess I will have to rely on Albuterol when he has uncontrollable coughing spells at night until we see the doctor. Thanks! DJ

My son is 8 y/o (almost 9). We love Singulair, he has been on it for years (at least 3 years). He can go about 4 days off of it and then his asthma flairs up again and we are up at night coughing. However after reading some of the posts I figure that I would throw in my two cents because some of these posts have been eye opening. We just recently went to an allergist and he was diagnoised with more severe ashtma then we expected so he was put on Allegra and Advair to go along with his Singulair and Albuterol (we dropped Claritan for the Allergra). In the last year my son has been experiancing horrible moods to the point that at 8 y/o I wonder if he knows what suicide is because the moods have brought him to a level that makes me very scared for him. We have recently decided to bring him to a therapist to talk about the moods and the behaviors he is experiancing at school and home. The negative attitude, the anger and frustration, the short temper, the night terrors, and night walking. He has also had over the last 6 months that 'stitch' in the side that another person was talking about. We took him to the ER once for it because we thought he was having an appendicitis attack. However he was not and we have had recent attacks like that. Like I said, I love Singulair, it was and sort of still is our dream drug however after reading this I wonder if it is not. My heart is crushed that a drug I thought was great for my son maybe the one thing that is hurting him. I am going to talk to his allergist about it and will try to take him off of it to see if it makes a improvement. Thank you so much for opening my eyes and maybe finding me a solution to it all.